Question I was in an accident today

CaseyRN

New member
I was in a "fender bender" today. It was just me in the car and I am fine but DD's MA was in the backseat. Do I have to replace it?

Basically I was driving and the car in the left lane decided he wanted in my lane and he came on over. I hit him but it was his fault. Banged up my front left bumper pretty bad and my car drives a little wobbly feeling but it is driveable. I was thinking Britax said I did NOT have to replace it if car was driveable but wasn't sure. I won't be putting DD in it anyway until the car is fixed. Arghh so NOT how I wanted to spend my evening.

Thanks!
 
ADS

Pixels

New member
Britax follows the NHTSA guidelines. The door closest to the carseat has to be undamaged, car driveable, airbags did not deploy, vehicle not totaled, no injuries (including soreness or stiffness, even the next day). Oh and no visible damage or stress marks on the carseat itself.

Hmm, did I miss any of them? That list was off the top of my head.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
You more than covered the NHTSA criteria that Britax follows with one exception: totaling isn't a factor. :) Totaling is determined based on the amount of damage relative to the overall remaining value of the vehicle. If the damage exceeds a certain percentage of the remaining value, the car is deemed totaled by the insurance company, and in the case of an older/depreciated vehicle, replacing a few parts damaged in an otherwise minor crash could be more than the vehicle is worth.

OP, I'm sorry you're dealing with the post-crash details and that the crash happened in the first place. Here's the list of criteria Britax follows from the General Questions section at http://www.britaxusa.net/support/faqs.aspx for reference:

Q: What should I do with my child restraint that's been involved in a crash?

A: Britax recommends that use of a child restraint be discontinued if it has been in a severe crash. We further advise of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) position that it is not necessary to replace a child restraint after a minor crash. A minor crash is one that meets ALL of following criteria:

* The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
* The vehicle door nearest the child restraint was undamaged;
* There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
* The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
* There is no visible damage to the child restraint.


Hope this helps you out.
 

CaseyRN

New member
Thanks so much! It does help me out. I am very confident that the car seat is fine and does not need replaced. Now I get to deal with the insurance company and work on getting my car fixed......:(
 

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